UK Bordeaux wine sales rise 14%

Sales of Bordeaux wines in the UK have grown by 14.2% in volume and 18.6% in value, according to data compiled by market research firm IRI.

Figures supplied by French Customs support this growth with exports of Bordeaux to the UK rising by 18% in 2013.

This year’s increase continues an ongoing trend which has seen 750,000 extra 9-litre cases of Bordeaux shipped to the UK in the last four years.

Appellations driving this growth were identified as the Médoc, St-Emilion and Côtes wines.

IRI said off-trade figures were down by 2.2% in volume and up 3.0% in value, while as a country French sales were down 1.9% in volume and up 4.2% in value.

A key aspect to Bordeaux’s success in maintaining a lead on other regions has been the success of its dry white wines, which saw sales rise by 53% in 2013, according to French Customs data.

The UK is now Bordeaux’s largest export market for its dry white wines, accounting for 18% of all Bordeaux UK sales.

Douglas Morton, UK Consultant to the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin Bordeaux, (CIVB) said: “Dry white Bordeaux provides a strong marketing opportunity. These easy to drink, often Sauvignon Blanc based wines, are a means of attracting younger and more female wine-drinkers to the Bordeaux category.”

He added: “Bordeaux is firmly positioned in the £6+ segment of the market. This is where we see the market continuing to grow (+59% in 2013) and where we currently sell 42% of our wines. The £6+ sector has the potential to bring more value to the supply chain which benefits the industry in general.”

With an average price of £6.37 per bottle, Bordeaux is about 20% higher than the off-trade average.